Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair – Review
Xbox
Review by Sundancer
Reviewed: 01/01/2003 | Updated: 01/01/2003
Falls short, but a sweet taste of nostalgia
Dragon's Lair 3D is a revamp of the old classic laserdisc game that gives you full control of good ole Dirk the Daring. It's mainly a platformer/exploration game akin to Tomb Raider and games normally starting cute animals. The Bluth team went the extra distance to bring us this game, but some things seemed to have escaped their sight. Let's take a run down.
STORY--Average
The evil wizard Mordroc has captured Princess Daphne and has her imprisoned in his castle, which is also the lair of his dragon, Singe. Not much to start with, but as you proceed the story develops, though hardly to a complex degree.
GRAPHICS--Above Average
With cell-shading techniques, the cartoon look of the original is maintained, using what look to be original animation cells for loading screens. There's not much for detail, but with cell-shading what's there is good. I must also say the choice of colors is quite varied and vibrant, bringing brightness to what could have been a drab setting. No dank dungeons here; the walls and floors radiate greens, blues and indulge in a variety of colors that makes great eye candy. The characters move fluidly through this spectral setting
CONTROL/GAMEPLAY--Average
By average I mean it works, but there are some flaws. Dirk's sword is best used when not standing in one spot, so I was forced to swing and run around like an idiot to avoid getting smacked a lot. This is in character when you consider what a bumbler Dirk is, but is frustrating. It's not horrible, but you do have to get in close for it to be effective and sometimes you take cheap shots that can be annoying. The added weapon of a crossbow is a nice surprise. The camera leaves a bit to be desired. You'll fight the point of view a lot, but usually it won't hurt your chances of success through a level, though you may not see what you want when you want.
SOUND--Above Average
The score is symphonic in nature and quite nice, ranging to epic for the bigger battles. I wish there was more variety, but the music isn't really catchy, which is good because it rarely seems redundant when you can't get the tunes stuck in your head. Sound effects are faithful to the original classic. The end credits song is different--you may like it or hate it.
SIDENOTES
Despite the above mentioned flaws I had a lot of fun playing through this game. I was disappointed by it's brevity; it can be beaten in about three and a half hours, or at least that was my final game time when I finished. There's a gallery menu where you can view the story as it progresses, but with the game so short, it doesn't seem necessary. I also found the game far easier than I expected, with power-ups practically around every corner.
REPLAY
Other than fun, the only incentive to replay is to try to collect all 100 treasures. I am unclear as to whether or not this unlocks bonuses.
All in all, Dragon's Lair 3D is a great trip for fans of the original series, who will find many scenes recreated in this game. It's a buy for Dragon's Lair buffs like me and at least a renter for anyone remotely interested in playing.
STORY--Average
The evil wizard Mordroc has captured Princess Daphne and has her imprisoned in his castle, which is also the lair of his dragon, Singe. Not much to start with, but as you proceed the story develops, though hardly to a complex degree.
GRAPHICS--Above Average
With cell-shading techniques, the cartoon look of the original is maintained, using what look to be original animation cells for loading screens. There's not much for detail, but with cell-shading what's there is good. I must also say the choice of colors is quite varied and vibrant, bringing brightness to what could have been a drab setting. No dank dungeons here; the walls and floors radiate greens, blues and indulge in a variety of colors that makes great eye candy. The characters move fluidly through this spectral setting
CONTROL/GAMEPLAY--Average
By average I mean it works, but there are some flaws. Dirk's sword is best used when not standing in one spot, so I was forced to swing and run around like an idiot to avoid getting smacked a lot. This is in character when you consider what a bumbler Dirk is, but is frustrating. It's not horrible, but you do have to get in close for it to be effective and sometimes you take cheap shots that can be annoying. The added weapon of a crossbow is a nice surprise. The camera leaves a bit to be desired. You'll fight the point of view a lot, but usually it won't hurt your chances of success through a level, though you may not see what you want when you want.
SOUND--Above Average
The score is symphonic in nature and quite nice, ranging to epic for the bigger battles. I wish there was more variety, but the music isn't really catchy, which is good because it rarely seems redundant when you can't get the tunes stuck in your head. Sound effects are faithful to the original classic. The end credits song is different--you may like it or hate it.
SIDENOTES
Despite the above mentioned flaws I had a lot of fun playing through this game. I was disappointed by it's brevity; it can be beaten in about three and a half hours, or at least that was my final game time when I finished. There's a gallery menu where you can view the story as it progresses, but with the game so short, it doesn't seem necessary. I also found the game far easier than I expected, with power-ups practically around every corner.
REPLAY
Other than fun, the only incentive to replay is to try to collect all 100 treasures. I am unclear as to whether or not this unlocks bonuses.
All in all, Dragon's Lair 3D is a great trip for fans of the original series, who will find many scenes recreated in this game. It's a buy for Dragon's Lair buffs like me and at least a renter for anyone remotely interested in playing.
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Rating:
7
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